Hood catch



R.G.MOORE Aug. 16, 1932-.

HOOD CATCH Filed Jan. 50, 193]. 2 Sheets-Sheet HVVENTUR{ RHYMUND E1. MOORE;

BY Qu /7 AYVURNEY R. G. MOORE Aug. 16, 1932.

HOOD CATCH 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Jan 50, 1931 INVENTOR. EAYMUND E. Momma ATTORNEY.

25 ment may be accomplished Patented Aug. 16, 1932 RAYMOND e. MOORE-,0! BBI nGEroaT, CONNECTICUT, AssrenoR TOTHE TBASSIGK courAuY, or BRIDGE-PORT, :connnc'nouna conrona'rron or CONNECTICUT noon cArcn Application filed Januar 30,1931. "Serial no. 512,231.

The present invention relatesto improvements in hood catche's,=particularly for automobiles, and has for an object to provide a catch disposed at the inside of the hood and having an outside operating handle, and which will effectually retain the hood closed and against rattling, and may be operated with facility. Another object is'to provide a catch which will'automatically'disengage m from the keeper in such relation that it will clear it upon raising the hood, and which will at the same time permit the keeper to be disposed in relatively close relation to the hood, so that the whole device will occupy is a minimum of space within'the hood. A further object is to provide a catch in which the parts'will be yieldably held against rattling in both the engaged and disengaged relations: A still further obje'ctis to provide a catch which will be held in engaged relation under relatively great spring pressure, and which at the same time is adapted to relieve the pressure to a great extent before disengagement, to the end that such disengagewith a minimum of effort. 'With the above and other objects in'view an-embodiment of the invention is shown-in the accompanying drawings, and this embodiment will be hereinafter more fully described with reference thereto, andthe invention will be finally pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings: I Fig. 1 isaside elevation of the catch, the hood being shown in vertical section.

Fig.2 is a rear elevation of the catch. Fig. 3 is ave'rtical-sectional view, the 'full lines showing the catch in its disengaged relation, and the dotted lines showing an intermediate position.

' Similar reference characters indicate'corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings. Y

Referring to the drawings, the hood catch,

according to the present embodiment of the invention, comprises a mounting plate adapted to be secured to the inner side of the hood 11,'as by rivets 12, and'provided with an elongated vertical slot 13 registering with a slot 14 in the hood, and through which an operating handle and cam member, presently to be more fully referred to, is extended.

A box-like vertically disposed housing or guidemember 15 in the form of a channel is secured to the plate 10, as by riveted over lug projections 16 formed on the vertical edges of the member 15 and engaged in slots 17 provided in the plate. The rear wall of the member 15 is at a slightly divergent angle to dthe plate 10 from its upper to its lower The operating-handle 18 is disposed at the outerside of the hood and'is provided with a cam portion 19 extended through the slots 14 and 13 and through a'slot 20 in the rear wall ofthe guide member 16, being pivotally mounted on a fulcrum pin 21 secured in the sides of said guide member 16. An elongated U-shaped frame'member 22 is mounted within the guide member 16 for sliding and swinging" movement, its side arms being provided near their upper ends with slots 23 engaged by the fulcrum pin 21 at each side of the cam 19. At a point below theslots '23 the frame member is provided with a cross pin 24 engaging-the camrslot 25 of the cam 19, detent portions 26 and 27*being provided at the respective ends of'the slot. The design of thefcam slot is'such that reciprocatory movement is imparted to the frame member upon swinging of the handle 18 to 'operatethecatch to engaged or disengaged relation, as will hereinafter more fully pp a I Abolt28 is carried by the frame member 22, being slidably engaged in an opening 29 in the lower end of said member, and provided at'its upper end with a collar 30 secured thereto by a cross-pin 31 having its ends slidable in slots 32in the sides of the frame member, and adapted to prevent turning of the bolt and guide its movement relatively to the frame member. A helical spring 33 is disposed'about the bolt, bearing at one end against the collar 30 and at its other end against the base of the frame member 22. At the lower end of the bolt acatch member 34 is pivotally connected by a pin 35, a hook portion 36 being provided at its lower portion for engagement with the keeper bar 37,

swinging-movement in all positions.

and which cooperate with a boss 41 pressed out from the mounting plate 50, so that in the engaged raised position, indicated' in Fig. 1, the cam projections engage the boss 41 to retain the frame in inwardly swung relation, while in the disengaged lowered position, indicated in Fig.3, the proection 40 passes below the boss 41 and swings outwardly against the mounting plate. Up on upward .movement the beveled ends of the projections 40' swing the frame member away from the hood. The rearward edges of the frame member are provided with cam projections 42, beveled at their lower ends, which in the raised position are disposed in an opening 43 in the rear wall of the guide member 15, while in the lowered position they engage the innersurface of said rear wall below the opening 43. The beveled ends engage the lower wall of the opening 43 during lowering of the frame member to swing it toward the hood. The arrangement is such that while a swinging movement is imparted during the reciprocation of the frame member it is retainedagainst free The purpose of the swinging frame member is to position the finger 38 out of the path of the ledge 39 in the engaged or operative position of the catch, so that'if the hoodis yanked or otherwise pulled up the ledge 39 will clear the finger and there will be no chance of accidentally-disengaging or damaging the catch. r The operation of the hood catch is as follows v v e As shown in Figs. land 2, the catch is in its operative or engaged position with the keeper, the detent portion 26 of the cam slot 25 maintaining the frame member 22 in its raised position and the handle and cam member in its lower position. In this position it will be observed that the spring 33 is compressed to a relatively great extent, so that a substantial force is exerted on the ,catch. It will also be observed thatthe finger 38 of the catch is spaced from the hood so that it will clear the ledge 39 if the hood is pulled up, thereby avoiding accidental. loosening or damage tothe catch. 7 e To disengage the catch the handle is swung upwardly, the pin 24 of the frame member first being llfted from the detent portion 26 of the cam slot so that it moves freely therein. The frame member moves downwardly to a point where its lower end engages or picks up the catch member 341, the spring 33 expanding during this movement, and the frame swinging toward the hood, so that the finger 38 of the catch is brought over the ledge 39. The dot-and-dash lines, Fig. 3, indicate the position at the point where the frame member engages the-catch member. Thereupon the further downward movement disengages the hood 36 from the keeper, and finally the finger 38 engages the ledge 39 and swings the catch toward the hood and entirely clear of the keeper, as indicated in full lines, Fig. 3, whereupon the hood maybe raised. In this position the detent portion 27 of the cam slot is engaged by the pin 24 and retains the parts against. accidental displacement. The operation of engaging the catch is the reverse, ,the catchfirst swinging beneath the keeper and being thereupondrawn up tight, the frame member at the same time swinging away from the hood to position the finger 38 clear of the ledge 39.

. I have illustrated and described a preferred and satisfactory embodiment of the invention but it will be obvious that changes may be made therein within the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims. V Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is j i 1 1. In a hood catch, a keeper adapted to be disposed interiorly of the hood, a support adapted to be mounted on the hood, a spring pressed bolt carried by saidsupport, a catch element movably connected to saidbolt and adaptedto engage said keeper, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said bolt, and means adapted through saidlongitudinal movement to move said catch into and out of cooperative relation with said keeper, and means for imparting transverse movement to said bolt and catch whereby said catch is moved into and out of the mentioned means. 3 V

2. In a hood catch, a keeper adapted to be disposed interiorlv'of the hood, a support adapted to be mounted on the hood, a longitudinal slide member carried by said support, a bolt carried by said slide member, spring means adapted to retract said bolt with respect to said slide member, .a: catch movably path of said last connected to said bolt and'adapted to engage said keeper, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said slide member and whereby there is relative longitudinal movement-between said bolt and said slide through the action of the bolt spring, and means adapted through said longitudinal movement to move said catch relatively to said bolt into and out of cooperative relation with said keeper.

3. In a hood catch, a keeper adapted to .be

disposed interiorly of the hood, a support adapted to be mounted on the hood, a longitudinal slide member carried by said sup port, a bolt carried by said slide member, spring means adapted to retract said bolt with respect to said slide member, a catch movably connected to said bolt and adapted to engage said keeper, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said slide member and whereby there is relative longitudinal movement between said bolt and said slide through the action of the bolt spring, means adapted through said longitudinal movement to move said catch into and out of cooperative relation with said keeper, and means for imparting transverse movement to said slide member whereby said catch is moved into and out of operative relation with said last mentioned means.

4. In a hood catch, a keeper adapted to be disposed interiorly of the hood, a support adapted to be mounted on the hood, a longitudinal slide member carried by said support, a bolt carried by said slide member, spring means adapted to retract said bolt with respect to said slide member, a catch movably connected to said bolt and adapted to engage said keeper, an operating handle extending to the outer side of the hood, cam means car-.

ried by said handle for imparting longitudinal movement between said bolt and said slide through the action of the bolt spring, and means adapted through; said longitudinal movement to move said catch into and out of cooperative relation with said keeper.

5. In a hood catch, a keeper adapted to be disposed interiorly of the hood, a support adapted to be mounted on the hood, a longitudinal slide member carried by said support, a bolt carried by said slide member,

spring means adapted to retractsaid bolt with respect to said slide member, a catch pivotally connected to said bolt and adapted to engage said keeper, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said slide member and whereby there is relative longitudinal movement between said bolt and said slide said catch into and out of cooperative relation with said keeper, and detent means as sociated with said cam means adapted to yieldably retain said slide member in its respective catch engaging and disengaging positions. I

7. In a hood catch, a keeper adapted to be disposed interiorly of the hood, a support adapted to be mounted on the hood, a longitudinal slide member carried by said support, a bolt carried by said slide member, spring means adapted to retract said bolt with respect to said slide member, a catch pivotally connected to said bolt and adapted to engage said keeper, means for imparting longitudinal movement to said slide member and whereby there is relative longitudinal movement between said bolt and said slide through the action of the bolt spring, and means adapted through said longitudinal movement to move said catch relatively to said bolt into and out of cooperative relation with said keeper.

Signed at Bridgeport, county of Fair-field, and State of Connecticut, this 24th day of January, 1931.

- RAYMOND Gr. MOORE.

through the action of the bolt spring, said I catch and bolt adapted to be moved with said slide member at a predetermined point to move said catch relatively to said keeper, and means adapted through further longitudinal movement of said slide member to swing said catch into and out of cooperative relation with said keeper.

6. In a hood catch, a keeper adapted to be disposed interiorly of the hood, a support adapted to be mounted on the hood, a longitudinal slide member carried by said support, a bolt carried by said slide member, spring means adapted to retract said bolt with respect to said slide member, a catch movably connected to said bolt and adapted to engage said keeper, an operating handle extending to the outer side of the hood, cam means carried 

